The Wednesday Walk 25th November 2015

The Plan

A Blashford Lakes walk

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Trisha, Sue, Trudy B, Trudy H, Beatrice and Tony H, David

The Walk

The weather today was a bit hit and miss, a mixture of sunshine and brief showers. We parked at the car park between Northfield Lake and Kingfisher Lake. Then we took the usual route to the study centre and hide. There seemed to be quite a few twitchers out studying the birds today. After that short break, we trundled on to the Alice Lisle Inn. This pub is named after Lady Alice Lisle (1617 – 1685) who was accused of harbouring fugitives after the defeat of the Monmouth Rebellion at the Battle of Sedgemoor. She lived at Moyles Court and agreed to shelter John Hickes, a non-conformist minister, and Richard Nelthorpe, a Monmouth supporter, in her home. The following day, the men were arrested. Lady Alice was tried by Judge Jeffreys at the opening of the Bloody Assize in Winchester. The jury, under pressure from Jeffreys, found her guilty and she was sentenced to be burned. Because she was a lady, she was not burned but given a quicker death. She was beheaded with an axe. She is buried in a tomb on the right hand side of the porch at St Mary and All Saits Church in Ellingham, Hampshire.

After lunch we split into two groups of four, one taking the shorter flatter route back to the cars, while the other group climbed the hill on Rockford Common.
Many thanks to Trudy for the photographs.

The Pub

The Alice Lisle. We’ve eaten here before. The food is good but expensive. The beef and ale pie was tasty but came in at £12.95.

Next Week

Unless otherwise informed, meet at Wendy’s at 10.30 for a Sandford walk.

The Wednesday Walk 4th November 2015

The Plan

Stourhead if the weather is good, Kingston Lacy if it’s bad.

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Sue, Jackie, Tricia, Trudy B, Beatrice and Tony, David

The Walk

There wasn’t much decision-making needed regarding which walk to opt for. The rain started shortly after we gathered in Wimborne. We drove to Stapehill for a cup of coffee and then continued on to Kingston Lacy. For the benefit of our very welcome overseas readers, Kingston Lacy is a large estate not far from Wimborne. The original house was built in medieval times and stood to the north of the current house and was used as a hunting lodge. It was leased to the Lords de Lacy, who were the Earls of Lincoln. By the fifteenth century it was leased to the Duke of Somerset whose daughter, Lady Margaret Beaufort, was the mother of King Henry Vll and was brought up in Kingston Lacy. By the sixteenth century the house was in ruins. Sir John Bankes bought the land in 1636. During the civil war, Sir John was killed and his other property, Corfe Castle, was ruined. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the Bankes family regained their properties but chose not to rebuild Corfe. In 1663, Ralph Bankes commissioned Sir Roger Pratt to build him a new house on his land near Wimborne. Today, we know it as the National Trust estate at Kingston Lacy. Our walk took us around the perimeter of the estate in the morning. After lunch we walked to the kitchen garden, a piece of land being carefully restored and used very productively. Along the way we encountered periods of drizzle, rain and sunshine, an eclectic mixture.

Many thanks to Beatrice and Tony for the tea and cakes right at the end of a pleasant day despite the weather. And thanks to Trudy for the colourful pictures.

The Pub

The Coach and Horses in Wimborne. Look guys, we know it’s daylight at mid-day, but your pokey little windows don’t let in much light, so please can you make sure all your ceiling lights work? Okay? Thank you. The food ranged from good to not quite so good. Most of us opted for a deal amounting to two meals for £9.99. That’s good by anyone’s standards. The steak and ale pie rated 8/10 for quality, but a full 10/10 in the value for money stakes. The battered fish wasn’t so well received. Too much batter and not enough fish.